It’s that time again — Reno City Hall’s annual game of “Who Wants to Be Vice Mayor?” The suspense is thick enough to cut with a council agenda. The November 12th meeting promises interesting ‘deals’ that may have been crafted behind the scenes.

Rumors are flying around town faster than free-range pigs at a county fair. Everyone’s got a theory about who’ll get the title. City Hall watchers are already placing bets on who might emerge as the mayor’s next right-hand. The logic seems simple: who will get the most bang for the buck and that might very well be Mayor Schieve’s ‘bestie’ Councilmember Devon Reese. Heck, she just threw a fundraiser for him at The Elm Estate.

Reno Councilmember Kathleen Taylor is hosting a public forum, but don't call her "Councilmember"—she's billing herself as "Vice Mayor Kathleen Taylor."

Here's the thing: nobody elected her to that position. Vice mayor isn't a democratic choice—it's a rotating assignment that gets passed around the council like a ceremonial gavel. One day you're Councilmember Smith, the next day you're Vice Mayor Smith. It's not exactly a mandate from the people.